Portland Buy Local

Did you know it’s free to add your locally owned, independent business to our online directory? Yep! 🤗 So what are you waiting for? See link below to add yours. And if you need a little extra marketing benefits, consider becoming a sponsor.

https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/membership

Join us to discuss how small businesses can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to support their marketing efforts. We’ll discuss the most relevant tools available for indie businesses, how to use them to create more effective and efficient marketing campaigns, and what downsides and challenges to look out for.

Speakers include Rich Brooks of flyte new media and Conor Sullivan of The Endurance Group and we’ll be hosted by Cloudport.

As always, Our IndieBiz Edu series is free and open to anyone thanks to our sponsor Gorham Savings Bank

In person registration is limited, so please register at our website. Participation is unlimited online. Register here. https://portlandbuylocal.org/event-5871485

It’s Amazon Prime Day. Love local businesses? Why not skip it this year and choose local first. When you choose to spend money at a local business, more of your money is reinvested in supporting the health of your community. July is also Independent’s Month and we’re celebrating by bringing back the Portland Buy Local poster. Notice the sneak peek in the window above? Want one for your window, send us a DM.

Poster art by local artist Monsters By the Sea

It’s summer! As we welcome back the snowbirds, tourists, and visiting friends and family, remind them to choose local first. So many of our retail, hospitality, and food service businesses depend on these few months to make it through the winter. When we all buy local, we support what’s so good about our community. Traveling? Make sure to support locally owned independent businesses there too.

🔆 Sponsor Spotlight 🔆 COR Health, Your local and independent neighborhood home care agency is an experienced home care provider, serving Maine since 2005. As a locally owned and operated agency based in Portland, they understand the unique needs of medically complex children, aging adults, and adults with disabilities in the community. With services including personal care, private duty nursing, targeted case management, and behavioral health, they are uniquely qualified to offer their ClientFirst and QualityFirst care throughout Maine. Learn more at https://corhealthservices.com

Spreading the buy local love with so many of our members, supporters and partners today. ❤️ Happy Downtown Workers Appreciation Day all. Thanks for organizing Portland Downtown.

Let’s kick off the summer season and tip our hats to all the local businesses that make Portland a go-to destination to live, eat, work, play and vacation. Join the party to mingle with local business owners and enthusiasts, enjoy apps on us, and sip drinks from the new Freedom's Edge Cider in Bayside.

Thank you to sponsors Coastal Pharmacy & Wellness Two Fat Cats Bakery and The Fish & Bone - Portland 🙏

We’ll also have a raffle to win prizes from local businesses and a hat toss to celebrate the official kick off of Portland Buy Local’s new mission!

Don’t miss a short presentation from Portland’s new economic development director, Gregory Watson, to learn more about how a strong locally owned business community improves the health and vitality of our city.

Register for free https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/event-5718098 and don’t forget your hat. But in case you do, or if you want to upgrade yours, Suger will have hats for “rent” from their Biddeford Ball collection.

It’s Indie Bookstore Day! Celebrate by supporting one of Portland’s many locally owned, independent bookstores. Did you know that when you shop at a local bookstore, more of your money stays in our community. Studies from Civic Economics show that 47.7% of revenue from independent retailers recirculated in the local community vs 13.7% for national chain retailers.

Some of our local bookstores are pulling out all the stops today with fun activities for the whole family. And the weather is perfect for a bookshop crawl to visit them all! Here are a few local suggestions.

Back Cove Books will have ice cream, two story times and new merch.

Longfellow Books is offering 20% off all staff recommendations.

Print: A Bookstore and Letterpress Books have hidden a golden ticket in their stores. Find it and get 12 free audiobooks from

Visit The Green Hand Bookshop for their eclectic mix of used titles for curious readers for all ages.

Check out Sherman's Maine Coast Bookshop in Portland or their locations up and down the Coast.

Have more suggestions? Please shout them out in the comments!

See you tomorrow in person or online!

Join us Feb 1st for some business strategy 101! Did you know strategic planning isn't just for the large corporations. It's essential for the success of small businesses, and it doesn’t have to be overly complicated, expensive, or time consuming. Learn how your business can benefit from a simple strategic plan and learn tips to get started. Our speakers include Katie Zoe Brunelle, Matriark Solutions & Joe Walsh of Green Clean Maine
Register here 👇
https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/events

Traveling for the holidays? Remember to support local businesses wherever you are. Amy, PBL board president was psyched to find a local maker market in the middle of JFK airport on Christmas Eve. She snagged some last minute gifts from Earthtone Boutique, a black, woman owned business offering sustainable, organic body products and artisanal honey. 👌🏽 She got her start with a simple rooftop Brooklyn garden. And PS - she once lived in Portland, Maine. ❤️

Who would be interested in a local, indie biz market at the for 2024? Maybe busy summer days too? 🤔

Thanks WGME CBS 13 News, Portland for encouraging people to buy local and visiting some of our local shops. A recent study showed that when you choose a local retailer, 48% of what you spend stays local, while at a national retailer its only 14%. Happy local holiday shopping!

Maine small businesses urge holiday shoppers to buy local The holiday shopping season is in full swing. Small business owners in Maine are urging shoppers to stop by local retailers to check items off their lists.

Have questions about financing your small business? Join us for All Things Financing for Small Business on December 1st at 9am. You'll learn what's available, what's right for your business, and what you'll need to do to get it. Learn tips and tricks to give you the best chance of meeting your funding goals.

Speakers include Julie Viola of Gorham Savings Bank & Paul Johnson of Greater Portland Council of Governments

Register for free for in person or online. https://portlandbuylocal.org/event-5490138

There are never the right words in times like these, but there is always love. ❤️

Check out our August Member Events in our recent email. And save the date for our Sep Mixer! https://mailchi.mp/portlandbuylocal/augevents

July PBL member events! Race with Portland Paddle, enter your kids in the Portland Kids Duathlon, meet local authors with Back Cove Books, and see one or all of the films at the The Maine Outdoor Film Festival. Learn more about these upcoming events in our most recent email at this link. http://mailchi.mp/portlandbuylocal/julyevents

Miss our email marketing session last week? Not to worry. Here is the recording. Thanks again to LM Durr of VONT Performance Digital Marketing and Rich Brooks of flyte new media for an excellent session.

Email Marketing for Small Business No, the original digital marketing strategy, email, is NOT dead. And with all the noise across the internet these days, it's still the best way to generate a...

Members spreading the buy local love at our June IndieBiz mixer. We’ll be taking July and August off from events, but we’ll still be out there reminding locals and tourists alike to choose local first! Mention us in your posts this summer and remember to support your local, independent businesses.

Join us for our next IndieBiz mixer at Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland. Come to network with your fellow local business owners, employees, and supporters while enjoying some pastries together. Not familiar? Two Fat Cats is one of Portland's long time favorite bakeries and a strong community supporter. They'll be serving and raffling off some yummy treats to take home. Food and drinks complimentary.

These are free and open to anyone that loves local, independent businesses. Providing an RSVP helps us know about how many people to expect. RSVP here. https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/event-5277987

Join us April 13th, 5-7pm at The Fish & Bone for our next IndieBiz mixer! See their new location at 5 India Street in Portland. Free RSVP here - https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/event-5237447
We will have complimentary snacks and beverages courtesy of Liquid Riot Bottling Company and the Portland Food Co-op.

Anyone is welcome, but if you are also a Portland Buy Local member, you'll get 20% off (anything but pet food) and double loyalty points on whatever you buy that evening. Not a member? Sign up today https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/membership

These events are free and open to anyone that loves local, independent businesses. Providing an RSVP helps us know about how many people to expect. https://www.portlandbuylocal.org/event-5237447

Another IndieBiz Edu in the books. Have you attended one? We provide resources to help our locally owned, independent businesses thrive. One of the things we do is run an educational series called IndieBiz EDU, a free in person and online Q&A with experts on topics important to our community’s small businesses. Today we talked search engine optimization and what local businesses can do to rank higher in online searches.

Check out our YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/ with videos from our past events and keep a look out for this recording on our page soon.

Thank you to Gorham Savings Bank for sponsoring this series!
Speakers: Mainely SEO & Local Image Co.
Host: Cloudport
🎥 by Satronen Sound

Save the date! Our next free IndieBiz EDU will be about all things search engine optimization for small businesses. Speaker and location information coming soon. Mark your calendars and stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone that came out for our IndieBiz Mixer. See you at the next one in April! And big thank you for hosting Nomads and Benchmark Real Estate for sponsoring the food and beverages.

Attend our free mixer this Wednesday! Come mingle with fellow supporters of the Buy Local mission this Wednesday, February 8th from 5 -7 pm. The event is free and open to anyone. Our host is Nomads, a fav local store for the best active and adventure wear and accessories. Nomads will provide a one-time 10% discount for all those who attend!

Complimentary beverages (alcoholic and zero proof) and snacks will be served courtesy of sponsor and member Benchmark Real Estate.

When: Wednesday, February 8th from 5-7pm
Where: Nomads, 100 Commercial Street, Portland

Thanks to everyone that attended our HR 101 session this week. This one was packed full with so many great nuggets of information.

Biggest takeaways…
1️⃣ Treat your workers as you’d want to be treated. Empathy goes a long way.
2️⃣ No surprises. Document performance issues early and often and communicate with the worker.
3️⃣ Visit the website for resources and info. Educate yourself before reaching out to an attorney to save money.
4️⃣ Have questions? Ask around for an referral to an employment attorney. You can hire most by the hour to get answers quickly.

Our IndieBiz Edu series is free and hosted monthly throughout the year. These sessions provide an opportunity for our small business community to hear from local experts on topics critical to their business. Do you have an idea for a topic or speaker? Shoot us a DM.

Thank you to Gorham Savings Bank for making this series possible. 🙏

Tomorrow at 9am. Still room in person and online. Have questions about human resources? This is for you! More info - https://portlandbuylocal.org/event-5115899

Thank you Gorham Savings Bank for sponsoring this series.